Psalm 21^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast^(A)(B)

³¹ He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like^(C) a mustard seed,^(D) which a man took and planted in his field. ³² Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”^(E)

³³ He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like^(F) yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds^[a] of flour^(G) until it worked all through the dough.”^(H)

³⁴ Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable.^{(I) 35} So was fulfilled^(J) what was spoken through the prophet:

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

³⁶ Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable^(L) of the weeds in the field.”

³⁷ He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.^{(M) 38} The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one,^{(N) 39} and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest^(O) is the end of the age,^(P) and the harvesters are angels.^(Q)

⁴⁰ “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man^(R) will send out his angels,^(S) and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. ⁴² They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.^{(T) 43} Then the righteous will shine like the sun^(U) in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.^(V)

The Council’s Letter to Gentile Believers

²² Then the apostles and elders,^(A) with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch^(B) with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas,^(C) men who were leaders among the believers. ²³ With them they sent the following letter:

³⁰ So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. ³¹ The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. ³² Judas and Silas,^(M) who themselves were prophets,^(N) said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. ³³ After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace^(O) to return to those who had sent them. ^{[34] [a] 35} But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached^(P) the word of the Lord.^(Q)